Format: Live instructor-led online training via Zoom / Microsoft Teams

Remote Sensing in Humanitarian Operations Training Course

Course Overview

The Remote Sensing in Humanitarian Operations Training Course is designed to equip humanitarian professionals, disaster risk management practitioners, GIS specialists, emergency response teams, government agencies, NGOs, UN personnel, researchers, environmental scientists, and development practitioners with practical knowledge and technical skills in applying remote sensing technologies for humanitarian mapping, disaster preparedness, emergency response, climate resilience, early warning systems, damage assessment, humanitarian logistics, refugee settlement planning, food security monitoring, environmental management, and evidence-based humanitarian decision-making. The course integrates high-demand technologies including satellite imagery, Earth Observation (EO), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Google Earth Engine (GEE), QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, drone/UAV mapping, GPS, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), LiDAR, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), multispectral and hyperspectral imagery, cloud computing, Power BI, and geospatial analytics to strengthen humanitarian information management and operational effectiveness.

Participants will gain hands-on experience in acquiring, processing, analyzing, and interpreting satellite imagery for humanitarian applications. The training covers disaster impact assessment, flood mapping, drought monitoring, wildfire detection, conflict monitoring, refugee camp mapping, land cover classification, vegetation analysis, infrastructure damage assessment, climate risk mapping, water resource monitoring, humanitarian logistics planning, disease surveillance, environmental change detection, and emergency response planning. Through practical laboratory exercises, real-world datasets, humanitarian simulations, and project-based learning, participants will develop advanced competencies in geospatial analysis, remote sensing image processing, spatial modeling, and the production of actionable geospatial intelligence for humanitarian operations.

The course aligns with international humanitarian and disaster risk reduction frameworks including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), Sphere Humanitarian Standards, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX), International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, International Humanitarian Law (IHL), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus (HDP), and global Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) standards. Participants will understand how remote sensing supports rapid needs assessments, humanitarian coordination, evidence-based planning, adaptive programming, climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and organizational learning.

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to acquire and process satellite imagery, conduct advanced remote sensing analysis, integrate GIS and drone technologies, develop geospatial decision-support systems, automate humanitarian workflows using AI and cloud computing, produce professional disaster maps, monitor environmental change, strengthen humanitarian information management systems, and improve emergency preparedness, operational coordination, and evidence-based humanitarian decision-making.

Course Objectives

1. Understand remote sensing principles and humanitarian applications.
2. Acquire and process satellite imagery for humanitarian operations.
3. Perform image classification and spatial analysis using GIS.
4. Conduct disaster impact and damage assessments using Earth Observation data.
5. Apply drone and UAV technologies for humanitarian mapping.
6. Integrate remote sensing with GIS, AI, and cloud-based analytics.
7. Monitor environmental change, climate risks, and natural hazards.
8. Develop geospatial decision-support systems for emergency response.
9. Produce professional humanitarian maps, dashboards, and reports.
10. Strengthen evidence-based humanitarian planning and disaster risk reduction.

Organization Benefits

1. Enhances disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities.
2. Improves humanitarian decision-making through geospatial intelligence.
3. Supports rapid damage and needs assessments.
4. Strengthens climate resilience and environmental monitoring.
5. Enhances operational coordination and logistics planning.
6. Improves donor reporting with spatial evidence and visualization.
7. Reduces operational costs through efficient resource allocation.
8. Promotes digital transformation in humanitarian operations.
9. Strengthens organizational monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL).
10. Builds institutional capacity in remote sensing and humanitarian geospatial technologies.

Target Participants

This course is suitable for humanitarian professionals, disaster risk management officers, GIS specialists, remote sensing analysts, emergency response coordinators, NGO personnel, UN agency staff, government disaster management officers, humanitarian information management officers, environmental scientists, climate change specialists, public health professionals, food security officers, WASH specialists, shelter coordinators, urban planners, engineers, monitoring and evaluation specialists, researchers, project managers, data analysts, consultants, and professionals involved in humanitarian mapping, disaster management, and geospatial analysis.

Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing for Humanitarian Operations

• Principles of remote sensing and Earth Observation
• Types of satellite sensors and imagery
• Humanitarian applications of remote sensing
• Spatial resolution and image interpretation
• Coordinate systems and geospatial reference frameworks
• Humanitarian data standards and ethics

General Case Study: Developing a remote sensing framework to monitor flood-prone communities and support emergency preparedness planning.

Module 2: Satellite Image Processing and Data Acquisition

• Satellite imagery acquisition and preprocessing
• Google Earth Engine applications
• Multispectral and hyperspectral imagery
• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) analysis
• LiDAR fundamentals
• Cloud-based geospatial processing

General Case Study: Processing Sentinel and Landsat imagery to assess flood extent, infrastructure damage, and affected populations after a major disaster.

Module 3: Disaster Mapping and Humanitarian Spatial Analysis

• Flood, drought, wildfire, and landslide mapping
• Refugee settlement and displacement mapping
• Infrastructure damage assessment
• Environmental change detection
• Hazard and vulnerability analysis
• Humanitarian logistics and accessibility mapping

General Case Study: Conducting a post-earthquake damage assessment using satellite imagery to identify affected infrastructure, displaced communities, and priority intervention areas.

Module 4: GIS Integration and Advanced Geospatial Analytics

• Integration of remote sensing with GIS
• Drone and UAV mapping
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications
• Spatial modeling and predictive analytics
• Web GIS and interactive mapping
• Power BI geospatial dashboards

General Case Study: Integrating drone imagery, satellite data, AI, GIS, and Power BI dashboards to support humanitarian coordination during a complex emergency.

Module 5: Humanitarian Monitoring, Evaluation, and Decision Support

• Monitoring environmental and humanitarian indicators
• Climate resilience and disaster risk reduction
• Food security and agricultural monitoring
• Public health and disease surveillance mapping
• Humanitarian reporting and visualization
• Evidence-based humanitarian planning

General Case Study: Developing a remote sensing-based monitoring system to track drought conditions, food insecurity, water availability, and humanitarian interventions across vulnerable regions.

Module 6: Emerging Technologies and Future Humanitarian Applications

• Near real-time disaster monitoring
• Cloud computing and automated image processing
• Big data and geospatial analytics
• Digital humanitarian innovation
• Sustainable geospatial information systems
• Future trends in remote sensing and humanitarian operations

General Case Study: Designing an integrated humanitarian geospatial platform combining satellite imagery, UAV mapping, AI-driven predictive analytics, Google Earth Engine, GIS, cloud computing, and interactive dashboards to strengthen disaster preparedness, emergency response, humanitarian logistics, and long-term resilience planning.

General Information

1. Customized Training: All our courses can be tailored to meet the specific needs of participants.
2. Language Proficiency: Participants should have a good command of the English language.
3. Comprehensive Learning: Our training includes well-structured presentations, practical exercises, web-based tutorials, and collaborative group work. Our facilitators are seasoned experts with over a decade of experience.
4. Certification: Upon successful completion of training, participants will receive a certificate from Foscore Development Center (FDC-K).
5. Training Locations: Training sessions are conducted at Foscore Development Center (FDC-K) centers. We also offer options for in-house and online training, customized to the client's schedule.
6. Flexible Duration: Course durations are adaptable, and content can be adjusted to fit the required number of days.
7. Onsite Training Inclusions: The course fee for onsite training covers facilitation, training materials, two coffee breaks, a buffet lunch, and a Certificate of Successful Completion. Participants are responsible for their travel expenses, airport transfers, visa applications, dinners, health/accident insurance, and personal expenses.
8. Additional Services: Accommodation, pickup services, freight booking, and visa processing arrangements are available upon request at discounted rates.
9. Equipment: Tablets and laptops can be provided to participants at an additional cost.
10. Post-Training Support: We offer one year of free consultation and coaching after the course.
11. Group Discounts: Register as a group of more than two and enjoy a discount ranging from 10% to 50%.
12. Payment Terms: Payment should be made before the commencement of the training or as mutually agreed upon, to the Foscore Development Center account. This ensures better preparation for your training.
13. Contact Us: For any inquiries, please reach out to us at training@fdc-k.org or call us at +254712260031.
14. Website: Visit our website at www.fdc-k.org for more information.